Research is a tedious process of self-dedication, sacrifice and mindfulness that yields a product of appreciation and mass recognition. However, it is a less rewarding job and with every passing day, the proportion of efforts to outcome, is depreciating. There are millions of publications coming out every day in international journal; open access journals are flourishing with new researchers and academicians, but that also means that it is difficult for a particular work to leave a lasting impact. Also, the matter of irrelevance of scientific works in real world, has always been an issue with researchers who believe so strongly in their work, but non-scientists feel the discoveries or inventions are doing nothing to change the society. Therefore, it is not only important to make your research prominent but also influence people into believing that your research is beneficial to them. Here are 10 tips to influence people with your research:
- Survey the Market– An assessment of current scenario, local and global is important in order to decide upon your research topic. For e.g. when a Pandemic like COVID-19 is going on around, and you are a researcher in the field of Psychology, you need to keep in mind the condition of global society and frame, how your research can solve the problems related to mental health during COVID-19. In short, you need to be aware of the problems around you, so that you can find their solutions directly.
- Do Research on a Socially Relevant Subject– You may have passion for the unknown, the undiscovered, but you have to face it; when your research cannot change something in society, it won’t be meaningful to real people. When you pick a real problem, existent in society as your topic of research, you can make a direct impact on the society by solving the problem meaningfully. Survey the market. An assessment of current scenario, local and global is important in order to decide upon your research topic. For e.g. when a Pandemic like COVID-19 is going on around, and you are a researcher in the field of Psychology, you need to keep in mind the condition of global society and frame, how your research can solve the problems related to mental health during COVID-19. In short, you need to be aware of the problems around you, so that you can find their solutions directly.
- Make Your Pitch Socially Meaningful– When you have taken a step forward on the initial steps, you have done your research well and you are ready for your thesis publication, you have to think on how you will pitch your work. You need to pitch even before research, when you need funding for your work. Whatever, your research topic is, make sure you defend it properly in your pitch, such that it makes sense to the society. You have to convince the listeners, that if your research isn’t there, developments in the field of technological innovations and other discoveries that directly solve a societal problem, won’t be possible. Say, your response to journal call for paper is on a hydration machine; if you can pitch your story such that it will convince your audience that it can solve water-scarcity across the world, your research will be directly impactful upon society.
Use the same method and precision to develop a problem statement in your research abstract.
- Do Your Literature Review Beforehand– You have to study related researches in your field very wisely. Unless you do that, you cannot define your research question; neither will you be able to identify if your work is important at all. Do not neglect your review of literature; do it much before you start off with anything else. Study several international journals to locate the gap in literature before making a social problem your research problem. Related works in the field will give you a clear idea about the relevance of your topic. That will save you time when you start the research, survey, techniques and analyses.
- Take Care and Precision on Research Statement– If there is none in literature, you have to formulate a problem, (which is existent in society, but perhaps unidentified) and then state how your research attempts to solve the problem. Writing a meaningful abstract or problem statement in your research paper is very important for making it impactful or relevant to the society. Most of the times, this is the first thing that attracts and influences readers to continue reading your research. Make sure the problem statement is clearly identified in the abstract, i.e., why you are doing the research must be explained in the beginning, so that people are influenced with your philosophy right away.
- Use the Right Keywords– These days, findings something is not difficult because everything is on the web. But that finding can become too rigorous for readers, if your study doesn’t have the right keywords in the title, because this is the age of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Do a basic research of what are trending on the popular search engines before you decide a title for your research or when you publish your thesis as a book. Right keywords facilitate finding your research easily. When your research is found easily, it gets better visibility and citation. The more visible your research is, the more relevant and effective it will be.
- Select Sample from Real Crowd– Eventually your research is going to go out to the world, which comprises of scientific and non-scientific people, rich and poor, old and young. Select sample for your research from the real world. Survey works conducted in the natural environment will have more real and relevant data than that conducted in a closed room under structured conditions. In fact, this process will help you cater your work to your audience better. Here, use your sampling techniques wisely. Keep in mind that the findings need to go beyond international journal. You must be able to replicate your results and your sampling method will influence your results and how they establish or negate your hypothesis.
- Make your Research Interdisciplinary or Transdisciplinary– It has been found that interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary journals cater widely to the society. That is such journals attract more audience from different inter-related fields. Approach such journals to get more audience for your research. Thesis publication without mass appreciation is of no use. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary journals will bring audience from more than one field of interest, to your work.
- Conduct Virtual and In-Person Seminars or Discussions– This can be great way to promote your idea to the academic group in your locality or worldwide. Seminars, conferences or just simple group discussion gatherings can be fun way to make your research subject more relevant to the academicians and researchers in the field and beyond, before thesis publication. Libraries are great to collaborate these local events. However, you can visit already happening seminars to speak about your work, or just organize a virtual event.
- Take Forward Your Work to the Actual Audience– This begins with your choice of journal. Go for open access international journal than traditional ones, as open access is based on sharing of knowledge, and it has been found that these platforms receive more citations and visibility from the audience than paid journals. Promotion and marketing in every field hold immense importance. After your academic work is ready, you have to go out into the society and work with real people to make your thesis prominent. You may have to preach and explain the main victims of the problem, how your research is going to help them evolve from situation; how you have worked hard to make a change in the society. That is how, your research will find a place among non-scientists; when they will identify with your work, they will be willing to read it.
In the present environment, influencing others can have huge impact on the work you do. Completing a research is not good enough to inform theories to practice. You have to influence sponsors to fund your work, then you have to influence the real stakeholders that is, readers in society to accept your research, as well as policy makers. Try following the above tips to establish your research as an influencer.
